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Stormwind Army Field Manual/Logistics
The Logistics chapter of the Stormwind Army Field Manual covers the services provided to the Royal Army by the auxiliary logistics personnel and provides a brief overview on the strategic costs of the various commodities utilized while on campaign. The Stormwind Royal Army is one of the best equipped armed forces in the known world. In order for it to maintain such, a robust organization of logistics personnel known as the Stormwind Auxiliary work day and night to provide proper equipment and lodgings to all soldiers of the Stormwind Army. This chapter of the field manual will review the services and provisions available to the king’s servants. Credits: *Duke Maxen Montclair, Marshal of the Elwynn Brigade. *Sir Jeremaias Auromere, Lieutenant of the Elwynn Brigade. Economy of Warfare War is costly. The expenditures of manpower, funds, and raw materials will drain a nation’s coffers quickly if they are not properly considered and budgeted into warfighting. Predicting the costs of each battle and engagement will allow better planning and allocation of resources. The victor of any war is one who has utilized their resources to their fullest potential. The following expenditures should be considered and budgeted for any campaign, where applicable. You should see that you have the funds to meet your budget for the length of your campaign, and then some - for it is rare that any campaign goes according to plan. Payment No army fights without some form of payment, be it in gold, land, or lodgings. A wise commander will pay his troops well, for an enemy can entice men to desert or even defect from service if they offer greater riches or pose a significant threat. Rewards for excellent service should be offered in the form of greater payments or ceremonial honors. The Royal Army pays its troops monthly in a tiered system based on rank. Knighted soldiers are paid more than commoners in order to maintain their beasts of war. Monthly Payment by Rank Paying hundreds or thousands of troops for an extended period of time will mount in cost. Ensure that this great cost is not in vain by utilizing your soldiers to their greatest potential! Water and Foodstuffs An army marches on its stomach, regardless of the payment you give your men. What good is gold if there is no food or water to purchase from hostile lands? Unless you wish for your army to starve and wither in the face of battle, you should supply your troops with ample provisions that will sustain them for the duration of travel and warfighting. Some foods and even water will spoil if mismanaged, so be certain to account for such in your planning. Medical Consideration Injuries and deaths are unavoidable in war. Hiring trained apothecaries and medical personnel will reduce the number of casualties your army sustains while on campaign. For these healers to have any measure of success, they will need supplies such as bandages, poultices, and even arcane reagents. Expect casualties to mount if your army runs out of medical supplies. Budget for medical expenses and lodgings for wounded soldiers. Shelter Soldiers need lodgings in order to be well rested and prepared to fight. Sleeping or even resting is impossible when exposed to harsh environments. Make considerations for environments that are dry, wet, cold, or hot in extremes. Tents should be provided to your soldiers so that they may be protected from the elements at minimum. A supply of wood or other flammable fuel should be budgeted to make fire and provide light during the night. Overall, you are responsible for the safety and relative comfort of your soldiers, and leaving them exposed will only reduce their fighting capabilities. Equipment The nature of warfare changes with every new technological advancement in warfighting. Ensure that your troops are provided with equipment that will contend with that which is provided by your enemy. If you send your men with spears against an army equipped with rifles and pikes, expect them to be slaughtered. Arms and armor are increasingly expensive in this age of chaos, so be prepared to spend a significant portion of your war chest on equipment for your soldiers. Beasts of Burden Unless your soldiers are able to carry all equipment, foodstuffs, and materials on their backs, you will need to budget for purchasing, training, and feeding beasts of burden. Not all beasts of burden are cared for in the same way, and each type has its own benefits and hindrances. A pack horse may be suited for long distance travel, but a camel may require less water and outlast a pack horse if you are traversing arid terrain. It often helps to look to local cultures to see what beasts of burden are most economical to employ. Artillery and Beasts of War Advanced unit tactics often require the use of light cavalry, heavy cavalry, and artillery pieces to supplement infantry troops. If you plan to field any sort of mounted troops, you will need to budget the training and care for their mounts. Artillery pieces almost always require specialized ammunition and well-trained operators, while artillery pieces themselves are often the most expensive pieces of equipment an army has in its armory. Spending more on advanced units such as cavalry and artillery can tip individual battles to an army’s favor, but spending extravagantly and mismanaging these expensive units is unsustainable in a long campaign. Fortifications The difference between shelter and fortifications is that shelter protects one from the environment, while fortifications protect one from their enemy. Your soldiers will need protection from enemy troops if you intend to hold a position indefinitely or even for a planned length of time. Most armies employ at least one field engineer who can direct soldiers to the construction of barricades, walls, and other ground emplacements. Purchasing or extracting raw materials for these fortifications is itself a costly endeavor, especially if they are not readily available where your army is deployed. While you can plan to capture enemy fortifications for your own use, expect to create many of your own if you hope to establish control over any land. Logistics Delving deep into difficult or hostile territory is especially perilous, as an army can quickly be cut off from its supply lines or be surrounded by the enemy. While winning individual engagements is important, a commander should direct a significant portion of his troops to maintaining a direct line of supply and reinforcement with his homeland. All considerations for foodstuffs, shelter, supplies, and equipment may be dashed if you are cut off from your supply chain. The means of victory for any commander are to exhaust the enemy of their resources before he exhausts his own. Winning decisive engagements quickly ensures success, but so too will clever planning and allocation of troops and supplies. No nation has gained anything from prolonged war. Do not hesitate to seize victory when it presents itself. Supply Lines An army cannot operate effectively if supplies cannot reach it in the field. Supply Lines must always be established and defended both in the realm of Stormwind and when deployed abroad so that supplies can be transported where they are needed. All major bases of the Stormwind Army are connected by supply lines through easily traversed terrain. Major supply lines may even be paved with flagstones to make them more efficient to travel. Most of the current roads within the Kingdom of Stormwind began as historic supply lines for garrisons of the Arathorian Empire. Supplies are typically transported on horse or mule drawn carts that are slow and vulnerable to attack. To that end, supply lines must be regularly patrolled and guarded from attack from brigands or enemies of the crown. A supply line is considered compromised if supplies cannot regularly get to their destination safely. Should valuable goods be transported, an officer may assign additional soldiers to protect them from harm. Communication Wherever deployed, patriotic subjects in the service of the Auxiliary act as couriers for the Stormwind Army, establishing Communication by spoken word or letter as far as their horses might carry them. In difficult circumstances, private citizens may fill the same role on an emergency basis. Couriers typically travel along established supply lines. If these routes are compromised, relaying messages becomes incredibly difficult. Soldiers may write and receive correspondence from their loved ones at home. They should, however, refrain from communicating sensitive information that could aid the enemy should the message fall into the wrong hands. In cases where sensitive information is being relayed between military bases, soldiers should be assigned to escort couriers to their destination. Messenger birds are only to be used in circumstances where a short message must be sent extraordinarily quickly or over large ground distances. Such a message may be written on a small scrip of paper and tied to a messenger bird’s leg. Messenger birds are trained to only fly between established bases. Intercontinental communication may only be done through established ports. Circle magi may also tap into ley lines and relay messages across vast distances to their fellow wizards. Mages should cast encrypting illusionary wards upon their messages in the case that enemy sorcerers tap into the same ley-lines. Lodging While within the king’s realm, soldiers of the army have access to Lodging in local garrisons and barracks. Abroad, the Kingdom of Stormwind also maintains several outpost garrisons and ports. However, if those garrisons exceed their full capacity, or a unit is stationed in unsecured territory, tents will be issued to soldiers for shelter, based upon double occupancy. Should a field commander deem it necessary for a location to be fortified and made a new outpost, it is in soldiers’ best interest to aid the Auxiliary laborers in constructing secure fortifications and permanent lodgings. If necessary, soldiers should gather construction materials from the surrounding lands. Detailed explanation of construction of fortifications can be found in the Engineering Chapter of the field manual. Rations An army marches on its stomach; the Subsistence Group of the Stormwind Auxiliary fills that stomach by providing consumable Rations and clean water. These supplies are typically sourced from farms designated for military foodstuff production by the crown. The Procurement and Supply officers of the Stormwind Auxiliary trade with local merchants and providers to secure fresh foods as available. Basic rations provided to soldiers: * Barreled Pork * Cheese * Apples * Bread * Diluted Wine * Limes * Grog Supplies may run low during deployments due to shortages or enemy interference. If that is the case, it is the responsibility of the military unit to supplement food stores with hunting and foraging. If a soldier lends this assistance, he or she must make sure to coordinate with Auxiliary personnel to ensure they collect the right supplies and avoid misunderstandings with local residents. Not all plants are edible and some animals may be protected by local custom. Equipment Maintenance The Royal Army ensures that every soldier is fit for combat by providing Equipment Maintenance services both at home and while on deployment. Soldiers are responsible for seeking out the appropriate armorer for repairs should their issued uniform be damaged in the field of battle or otherwise. * Plate and Mail wearers must seek out a blacksmith, specifically an armorer. * Leather armor wearers must seek out a leatherworker. * Cloth uniform wearers must seek out a tailor. In the case that magically imbued equipment is damaged, an enchanter should be sought out to determine if the equipment in question can be repaired or if it should be outright replaced. Materials may not always be available in the field for equipment repair if supply lines are compromised. In that case, an officer may order soldiers to forage or stake out resources for the crown with the aid of the Stormwind Auxiliary. Army Exchange The army provides an Army Exchange stockpile of supplemental supplies available for soldiers to purchase with their earned pay. Specialized ammunition, armor, and weaponry may be found in the stockpile for purchase. While some items are obtainable by all soldiers, others are restricted to specialized or higher ranking soldiers. A soldier should avail himself to the following chapters of the field manual to know what equipment, arms, armor, and reagents are available: * Uniforms and Armor * Arms and Weaponry * Ammunition and Reagents There may be occasions where supplies are cut off from deployed soldiers. In such occurrences, access to the army exchange will be temporarily limited or unavailable. To that end, it is in soldiers’ best interest to think ahead and purchase what supplies they need before entering hostile territory. Personal Affairs The military is a dangerous profession. You must keep your Personal Affairs in order at all times. Avoid problems later by effectively managing your personal matters before you deploy or are critically injured. Periodically review your legal documents and keep them up to date. Marriage, divorce, childbirth, death, and changes in wealth are significant events that affect your legal interests. Last Wills and Testaments Update your will regularly. This legal instrument is quite important for all in the military profession. Should you fall in battle it will allow your funds and possessions to be allocated as per your wishes and place any children you may have into the homes of proper guardians. A copy of your will should be put on file with the Regiment’s Mortuary Affairs group, to ensure swift execution of your last wishes. If you cannot afford proper legal consultation when drafting or updating your will, the army can provide you with legal aid for little to no charge. Counseling Services The king provides chaplains and morale officers that offer Counseling Services for the soldiers of the Stormwind Army. They may aid soldiers facing psychological trauma or personal disputes. In cases of conflict between two soldiers, a morale officer may act as a mediator between two feuding members to help them resolve their issues and come to a mutual understanding. This mediation should be unbiased and neutral, with an eye toward restoring peace and professional goodwill. If a situation gets to the point where one person is endangering another, the morale officer should refer their notes to a knighted officer for further investigation. Category:Field Manual Category:Stormwind Army Field Manual